Ambassador Salinas Thanks Filcom and Business Leaders for their Support for OV Registration Campaign

Posted on September 16, 2015

On behalf of the Philippine Embassy to the Kingdom of Spain, I would like to thank all the leaders of the various Filcom organizations in Spain and Andorra for the support they have been generously extending to us in our campaign to encourage all Filipino citizens within our jurisdiction (including “dual citizens”) to register as “overseas voters” (OVs) for the national elections in 2016. In particular, I would like to thank all the Filcom leaders and members who actively participated in the Search for Mutya at Lakan 2015 — an event which, to a great extent, increased the number of new OV registrants among our countrymen.

My gratitude also goes to all the business establishments (such as travel agencies, restaurants, remittance centers, grocery stores, supermarkets and the like) which also supported our OV registration campaign. Without the assistance they have provided, our efforts would not have produced the results we had hoped for.

I am very pleased to inform everyone that — thanks to the generous help of the aforementioned individuals, Filcom organizations and business establishments — the Philippine Embassy in Madrid (your Embassy) achieved the honor of being the first Philippine Embassy in Europe to meet its target of 10,000 new OV registrants. Not only that, your Embassy was able to achieve its target two (2) months ahead of the deadline which is on October 31, 2015. We would not have succeeded in obtaining this high distinction without your support and assistance.

Despite our having achieved our target, however, we must continue to encourage more Filipino citizens in Spain and Andorra (including “dual citizens”) to register as overseas voters. For it is both their right and their duty to be involved in choosing our country’s next leaders by participating in next year’s elections. Since they cannot exercise that right and that duty without first registering themselves as overseas voters, we would like to appeal to your help, once again, to continue assisting us in our efforts to encourage those who have not yet registered, to do so at the soonest possible time.

The OV registration period shall end this October 31, 2015. Let us continue to join hands and do whatever it takes to encourage as many of our kababayans as possible to register before that deadline.